Need To Automate And Not Sure How?

Do you have label processes you wish you could automate?

We recently helped a large CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) company with a challenging problem with automation. They were about to embark on a nationwide marketing program and realized they had a bottleneck in their packaging lines.  Their current system had their workers applying labels by hand to small boxes in which each box had to be closed tight.

The labels not only identified the product, but also kept the lids closed during shipping.  They knew that once the marketing campaign started, they would not be able to keep up with demand. That is when they gave me a call and asked if we could help.

Here were the problems they wanted solved:

• Automate their lines
• Print and apply a label
• Use two different size labels on the same equipment
• Close the box tight
• Use labels that would stick enough to seal the box

Getting Help to Automate Production

Once I saw the line and what we were up against, I enlisted the services of Isaac Dupre from DupreSolutions, a custom packaging and automation company out of Vermont.  I have worked with Isaac in the past and knew that together we could come up with a hardware solution for my customer.

After several meetings and a site visit, we came up with a solution to their packaging problem.  It was clean, straightforward, and easily adaptable to any line or label application they needed.  Our solution included a Zebra print and apply, tamp label applicator along with a wipe down station. This would wipe the label on one or two sides of the box with no adjustments, just the push of a button.  How easy is that!

Here are the solutions we implemented:

• Zebra printer and apply label applicator
• A wipe down station on both sides of the boxes
• A tamp foot to close the box shut
• A Polar Bond label to stick and seal the box

As you can see in the video, the box travels down a conveyor and then the label gets applied.  Depending on the application, the label either flags off of one side or both. Shortly after the labels get applied, the boxes move to a wipe-down station.  Here a gate stops the box, an air cylinder comes down and closes the box and the wipe station engages and wipes the label down the side of the box.

Depending on the application, this system gives the customer the ability to wipe down the label on one side or two sides of the box with no physical changes to the line.  A simple switch will turn on or off the separate wipe stations.

The Final Automate Solution

The last part of the process was finding a label with the correct adhesive.  We choose Polar Bond because of its high initial tack and the ability to adhere to boxes with a high recycle count.  Labeling recycled corrugated has been a challenge over the past few years and now there is a product to address this.

The customer was thrilled with our solution because:

• The system was easy to implement and use
• We were on time
• And especially we were on budget!

This solution gives the customer the ability to label 30 boxes a minute and has reduced their cost of labor by three people. This allows them to work in other places within the plant, thus making the company more efficient.

If you have a labeling challenge that you would like solved, send us an Email or give us a call at 888.972.5234.  We love to think outside the box and welcome difficult label applications.